If you didn't document it, you didn't do it. All the safety management, inspections, leadership, administration, purchases, inventory, training, certifications, etc. will not be worth a hill of beans unless you have documentation that it was done.
Checklists are my favorite. I read somewhere that even brain surgeons use checklists. I can just picture them going down the list, getting to the check box next to "count sponges" and discovering that they are one short. Nurse! Open up the skull again.
I regularly watched my colleagues conduct behavior observations for front line workers at a recycling plant. One by one on one, every month, they reviewed, in detail, the worker's ppe, posture, hydration, and general safety concerns for the day. It was cordial and brief and powerful and it ended with both their signatures on the form. The message to the employee was clear. His supervisor was watching and responsible for his safety equipment and performance. The supervisor knew he had to complete one of these for each employee he supervised once a month, and he had to follow up on any issue the employee brought to his attention, and before the next month's observation, preferably.
There are a few best practices when it comes to recordkeeping. When collecting names and signatures on a training roster you may have to make allowances for workers who are not accustomed to reading and writing. I like big boxes for signatures and printed names! Not so easy to read their writing sometimes. Take care not to embarass anyone in front of the class but don't let them leave till you can read the information they provide.
You kids have it so easy these days. I can scan a document in the field with my phone and send it anywhere in the world. It takes a little getting used to but cloud storage for safety documentation is a fantastic hack to make your recordkeeping easier.
Bound notebook booklets are also a good idea because you can prove none of the notes were removed, and demonstrate your field notes were contemporaneous with the occurence you are documenting. Contemporaneous notes are notes made at the time or shortly after an event occurs. They represent the best recollection of what you witnessed. Several engineering supply sources will have bound notebooks for field observations and inspections.
Its a hassle. Stopping what you're doing to take notes, carrying around a clipboard with your inspection forms and receipts for lunch, finding the written inventory tally you completed two days earlier...but recordkeeping is essential to managing and improving your safety performance, and you can measure your performance over time. If you can measure it, you can manage it!
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